Fragrant oil from Agar wood:A rare luxury commodity
Agarwood is the source of a rare oil valued in many cultures from the Middle East to India and Japan for its distinctive fragrance.
For hundreds of years the oil has been used to make expensive perfumes, fragrances, and incense.
The oil is also also used by the Japanese pharmaceutical industry and in the production of scented incense sticks.
Why Agarwood is rare and expensive
Until recently, agarwood only grew in the wild and had to be collected from forests. This eventually led to the depletion of agarwood in most of the forests of Asia.
In the wild, Agar wood takes 10 to 40 years to grow to maturity and even then only about 5% of the trees produce oil depending on soil quality and humidity. Only the parts of the tree that react to the fungal infection that produces the rare and wonderful scent can be harvested.
Agar wood became a rare commodity sold at very high prices because it was so difficult to find and took so long to grow. As the forests of Asia have slowly disappeared, Agar wood became even rarer and more expensive.
Nowadays, “premium agar oil extract is priced between 5,000 and 8,000 baht per tora (12cc) or 400,000 to 700,000 baht per litre.”
Grown artificially on a plantation it only takes three years before oil can be extracted. This increased cultivation speed has made agarwood plantations a viable business in Thailand and Asia.
Agarwood has been listed and protected as an endangered species for many years:
“Since 1995 Aquilaria malaccensis, the primary source [of Agar wood], has been listed in Appendix II by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In 2004 all Aquilaria species were listed in Appendix II.”
Cultivation of Agarwood trees was prohibited for centuries in Thailand and was also on a list of protected plants. Seven years ago agarwood trees were removed from the list and commercial cultivation in Thailand was allowed. Still, before Agar oil can be exported a special export license has to be obtained from the CITES. AFM has already obtained this license.
reference : bangkok post
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